Can Heaven Wait
by AppleDanish
Summary: Another songfic for Pearl84's Checkmate. This time, it's 'Can Heaven Wait', one of my favorite, older songs. Danny's fallen into a deep depression since the incident with Jazz, and he has no clue what the outcome is. Who can possibly help him, now?


**Can Heaven Wait**

**By DannyTimmygirl327**

**Summary: Another songfic for Pearl84's story 'Checkmate'. I'm probably gonna make at least 10 songfics for the story. This song just called out to me while I read the story. It's called 'Can Heaven Wait' by Luther Vandross. It's an older song, but I still love it. I don't own 'Can Heaven Wait', 'Checkmate', and Danny Phantom. **

_Quarter after seven, got a phone call,  
Telling me to get here quick.  
Said your girl is in a bad situation,  
They don't know if she's gonna make it.  
_

Danny sat quietly in the waiting room, his heart beating rapidly as he awaited news on Jazz's condition. It was about a few hours after his 15th birthday party, when Jazz was taken to the hospital after she collapsed and stopped breathing. It had gone from the best day ever to a living nightmare.

"Please be okay, Jazzy…" He whispered, his voice seeming to be more childish than he really remembered. He knew that if he couldn't protect and save his own sister…

No one could.

He stood up and began pacing back and forth across the room. His footsteps echoed in the silence. "There's gotta be a solution, I just know it…" He mumbled to himself. Because of his anxiety, Danny hadn't been asleep for more than a couple of hours so he had deep, dark black circles under his eyes, which were bloodshot. His skin obtained a grayish tint , almost sickly pale. His beautiful, baby blue eyes lost their wondrous luster. His raven black hair lost its shiny luster. He even appeared to be thinner than normal.

Finally, the teenager fell into his chair. He held his head in confusion. "Whoa, that was strange." He thought, the dizzy spell still a mystery to him.

Suddenly, the door opened, a doctor coming into the waiting room. Danny looked up, seeing Jazz's doctor walk up to him.

"Hello, Daniel," He greeted him, giving him a comforting smile. Danny returned the gesture, his smile betraying his fearful exterior. "How is she?" He asked, his heart skipping a beat. He sighed and said, "Your sister… she's able to breathe, but we've connected her to several machines to restore her body's natural balance. She's going to be okay, I'll tell you that,"

Danny 's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jazz was… okay, at least for now. "Thank you." He whispered, standing from his seat. He ran down the hallway as the doctor went to speak with Danny's parents.

_As I hurry to be by her side,  
I ask a thousand times, why oh why.  
There's no rhyme or reason in my life ,  
With you lying here this way.  
_

He opened the door quietly, peeking into her room. He slowly eased the door closed and tiptoed to his sister. He saw her, lying unconscious with nothing but the sound of machines beeping through the room.

He sat beside her. There was nothing to fill the void;

Nothing to fill the emptiness.

"Jazz, I'm so sorry. I… I should've actually been there more often. I didn't mean anything I said before, about you always being there and how tired I was of you. I-" Before he could finish, Danny could feel the pain of guilt and sadness fill his throat. He cupped his face into his hands and began crying. He never cried before; in fact, he barely cried as a child. Danny was always a brave soul, but…

Every brave soul has its breaking point.

He heard himself cry; he heard and felt the pain build up even more. Finally, broken, racked sobs filled the empty room, echoing through the air.

"Why can't I just stop screwing up?!" Danny screamed, falling to his knees, and clutching onto her sheets.

_  
I'd give anything just to trade places with you.  
So I'm begging heaven down on my knees,  
To help you make it through…  
_

"…Danny…?" A voice whispered softly to him. Danny finally managed to look up, seeing his mother peer down at him. She knelt to his level and placed her arms around his trembling body.

"Mom, you don't understand how badly I'd take her place right now," He said, choking on his words. Maddie rubbed his back gently, tears falling from her eyes just from seeing her daughter in this condition and her son so broken down.

She pulled him away, just to look into his eyes. "Danny, I don't want to see either of you in pain right now, if not at all. Please, Jazz will be fine, I promise," He let out a hiccupped sob, unable to stop crying. She gently wiped away his tears, then kissed him on the cheek. "I won't let either of you go.." She whispered, hugging him tightly.

_Tell me can heaven wait,  
Can heaven wait just one more night.  
Tell me what it's gonna take,  
To keep you with me in my life.  
_

A few hours later, they received the message that Jazz had regained conscious and they were able to talk and visit her.

"Two people at a time, please," The nurse whispered gingerly. Both Maddie and Jack glanced over at Danny, who was fumbling with his fingers and shaking his leg nervously.

"Danny…" Jack whispered, kneeling to his son's level. Danny glanced up, staring at him with sorrowful baby blue eyes. "With no question, your mother and I would like you to see Jazz first."

He looked at him in astonishment. Surely, they'd want to see her first, but… they made a small sacrifice for him. His lips broke out into a small smile. He gave his dad an appreciative hug, feeling the warmth of his happiness regenerating onto him.

They watched their son disappear into the room with a broad smile on both their faces. They were glad to see their baby boy so happy.

"Jazz!" Danny cried out, opening the door. Jazz looked up, her face breaking out into an absolutely genuine smile that was bigger than any other smile she'd given him. "Danny! Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to see you!!" She squeezed him tightly, feeling his tense body slowly start to relax.

"I'm okay, Danny, I'm okay…" She reassured him, reading his mind. Danny buried his face into her chest, closing his eyes. He couldn't be thankful enough that she was still alive and still here to be there for him.

_Giving up the shame of my other life,  
Now I'm seeing things in a whole new light.  
Lord, I vow to change if you just make it right,  
Can heaven wait one night?_

Finally, they released their grip on each other. Danny's once excited behavior was replaced with sorrow. "Jazz… I- I was wrong before. I know how much you can help and that… I can't live without you and… I haven't been here enough, have I?" He whispered, lowering his eyes. Jazz lifted his chin and said, "Danny, you've been there for me for 15 years. I couldn't ask for anyone else to be with me. I love you Danny, and it doesn't matter whether you're here, faraway or anywhere else, I'll always be with you and you'll always be with me,"

He smiled. "Thanks, Jazz. Just…" He rested his head on her lap. She stroked his hair as he quietly said, "Don't leave me."

_  
Thinking back on times that I've wasted,  
I should have cherished every day.  
All the different flavors that I tasted,  
Can't compare to you, no way.  
_

After visiting hours were over, Danny sat in his room, thinking about what Jazz told him.

"_I love you, Danny and it doesn't matter…"_

"It does matter, Jazz, and sometimes…" He fell back on his bed, closing his eyes.

"Sometimes, you're wrong."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Later that night, Danny finally fell asleep, only to be disturbed by a nightmare, one he prayed to wake up from sooner.

_He ran down the hallway, seeing the darkness slowly consume him. He was searching… searching for his sister… even though she was so far away._

"_Jazz?" He called out, his baby blue eyes filled with fear and desperation. _

_Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure with long, red hair standing in the distance. _

"…_Jazz? Is that you?" He whispered, walking slowly towards her. Even though it was just a dream, he figured that she should be at the hospital right now._

_He touched her gently on the shoulder. She turned around, with the most serene, delicate teal eyes that were screaming at him almost._

"_Why didn't you save me?" She whispered, her voice dying into a whisper. Before Danny could reach her, disappeared into thin air._

"_Jazz! No!!" He screamed, running after him. He tried so hard to reach out and grab her, but he couldn't. _

"_I… failed. I almost couldn't… save everyone… they almost… died. And I couldn't even save my own sister…" He said, his voice rising with every word. Finally, he let out an agonizing scream, one that was chilling to the bone and painful to the ears._

_He continued to drown in his sorrow… blackness following him everywhere…_

_As I reminisce by your side,  
Tears of guilt are streaming from my eyes.  
All the things I did that weren't right,  
Wish I could apologize._

Danny's eyes shot open. He was breathing heavily, his chest feeling heavy and his mind numb. He wiped away the sweat, jumped from his bed and raced down the hallway. He opened Jazz's bedroom door and fell on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. He pulled her blanket over his body, almost feeling her right there next to him.

Slowly, he let his silent sobs caress him into a deep, Danny's eyes shot open. He was breathing heavily, his chest feeling heavy and his mind numb. He wiped away the sweat, jumped from his bed and raced down the hallway. He opened Jazz's bedroom door and fell on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. He pulled her blanket over his body, almost feeling her right there next to him.

Slowly, he let his silent sobs caress him into a deep, fitful sleep.

_I'd give anything if I could trade places with you  
So I'm beggin' heaven down on my knees  
To help you make it through  
__-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

_Tell me can heaven wait  
Can heaven wait just one more night  
Tell me what it's gonna take  
To keep you with me in my life_

Giving up the shame of my other life  
Now I'm seeing things in a whole new light  
Lord, I vow to change if you just make it right  
Can heaven wait one night

"Danny?" Maddie called out, walking up the stairs. She went to Danny's room, only to find it empty. "That's odd…" She thought aloud, making the assumption to walk to Jazz's room. Sure enough, she_  
_found Danny sleeping in her room, his body calmly rested under the blankets and his arms still secure around the pillows.

She smiled and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. She sat beside him for a moment before leaving with one last whisper:

"She'll be okay, Danny, she will."

_I'm gonna stop the world, reverse the time  
Do whatever it takes to keep you alive  
Heaven has to wait one more day_

Baby, take my breath so you can breathe  
I need you here so don't you leave  
Heaven has to wait

_  
Tell me can heaven wait  
Can heaven wait just one more night  
Tell me what it's gonna take  
To keep you with me in my life_

Giving up the shame of my other life  
Now I'm seeing things in a whole new light  
Lord, I vow to change if you just make it right  
Can heaven wait one night

**A/N: I've had the worst case of writer's block ever! I mean, seriously, I couldn't add the story into the song! But, here ya go! I hope you guys like it, but since it didn't turn out like I planned, yeah…. Read and review!**__


End file.
